_Atonement_'s reviews and Oscar nominations made me expect greatness. Well, it IS a great movie to look at, but the storyline is a letdown.
For two hours, the viewer sees beautifully filmed scenery and nicely acted scenes of intrigue, conflict, and passion. However, the frequent jumps forward or backward in time give the production a herky-jerky, disjointed feel. Also, it's never clear why the romantic couple are so enraptured with each other, particularly as the woman seems unlikeable.
Worst of all, the main plot twist - on which the movie's title is based - comes just at the end, and pulls the rug out from under some previous events that had seemed to make the story worthwhile.
I can't help being reminded of the "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine's friend asked why she didn't love _The English Patient_ (a similarly ambitious but unsatisfying romantic epic). Her reply: "How about, it sucked?" That overstates the case with _Atonement_, but I might say, "How about, it just wasn't all that good?"
For two hours, the viewer sees beautifully filmed scenery and nicely acted scenes of intrigue, conflict, and passion. However, the frequent jumps forward or backward in time give the production a herky-jerky, disjointed feel. Also, it's never clear why the romantic couple are so enraptured with each other, particularly as the woman seems unlikeable.
Worst of all, the main plot twist - on which the movie's title is based - comes just at the end, and pulls the rug out from under some previous events that had seemed to make the story worthwhile.
I can't help being reminded of the "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine's friend asked why she didn't love _The English Patient_ (a similarly ambitious but unsatisfying romantic epic). Her reply: "How about, it sucked?" That overstates the case with _Atonement_, but I might say, "How about, it just wasn't all that good?"
Top Box Office
- 1.$70.2M
- 2.$35.8M
- 3.$23.9M
- 4.$3.2M
- 5.$3.0M
- 6.$2.8M
- 7.$2.3M
- 8.$2.2M
- 9.$2.2M
- 10.$1.2M